


sunburn (that girl is like a)

by Dandybear



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Gratuitous Tracy Chapman, Non-Linear Narrative, Time Skips, Yes I really named a fic after a third eye blind song, they do the sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-31 22:33:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18323291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandybear/pseuds/Dandybear
Summary: She comes back into Maria's life like she always did. With little warning for the emotional bat she was about to take to the hornet's nest. Monica launches herself at the mother-shaped stranger with no hesitation and Maria? Maria stands there and stares at the ghost on her front lawn.Her name is Vers and she's a soldier of the Kree empire.roughly canon compliant retelling of Maria and Carol's relationship leading up to/during Captain Marvel





	sunburn (that girl is like a)

**Author's Note:**

> As someone who writes a lot of domestic lesbian superhero smut, this pairing was really a no brainer. 
> 
> pls review

_ I remember the stupid things, the mood rings, the bracelets and the beads _

_ Nickels and dimes, yours and mine, did you cash in all your dreams _

_ You don't dream for me, no, (goodbye, goodbye) you don't dream for me, no _

_ But I still feel you pulse like sonar from the days in the waves _

_ That girl is like a sunburn _

_ (Never Let You Go, Third Eye Blind) _

 

She comes back into Maria's life like she always did. With little warning for the emotional bat she was about to take to the hornet's nest. Monica launches herself at the mother-shaped stranger with no hesitation and Maria? Maria stands there and stares at the ghost on her front lawn. 

Her name is Vers and she's a soldier of the Kree empire. 

Kree are blue. Well, not all of them--according to Vers. But, their blood is. 

“That's so weird!” Monica says. 

( _ Carol's red blood stuck to her swollen upper lip.  _

_ “Shoulda seen the other guys,” she said, rotating her jaw with a wince.  _

_ Maria held Carol's head still on inspection, then set about cleaning up the red with her tongue. Curious about the taste. Curious to see if consuming just a little of Carol would make her fly higher, be braver. She'd say it worked, but kissing Carol always felt like flying. _ ) 

Vers holds her gaze while Monica bounces out her excitement. She disappears upstairs to dig what's left of Carol out of the closet. The agent follows her, dismissed by by the alien wearing her best friend's face. 

_ Best friends. Is that what they're calling it these days? _ Her mother once said. 

That acceptance wasn't expected. She didn't think the old woman would have space in her heart for both a gay daughter and God. Turns out she even had space for Carol. 

Carol, who is not sitting opposite her at her table and looking too damn much like she belongs there. Like she's the fixture this house has been missing. That moving wasn't at all related to not being able to bear living in their house without Carol in it. 

But, the alien. Vers, she looks scared. She has the right cocky head tilt. She has the right intensity, but her warmth is off. Her anger is bubbling under the surface. Maria wonders if they pop the same way they used to. 

( _ Carol's fist is in Simmons's face before Maria can react. Instead she's watching him fall backwards in slow motion. The men around him stuck in comical faces of shock and anger. The way Carol enjoyed the swan dive of victory as they were ushered out of the bar. _

_ It's called a cockpit, hard emphasis on cock. He’d said.  _

_ Then they're standing outside the bar with a ban hanging over their heads.  _

_ “Thank God you didn't do that on the base,” she said.  _

_ “Guess we need somewhere new to drink.” _

_ Pancho's was two miles further, but it had a karaoke machine and dollar shots on Wednesday nights. _ )

There's a focus to that anger. Years of repression’s worth of control. Loving Carol was playing with fire before she could shoot it from her hands. Vers breaks and Carol breaks and she meets the woman in front of her somewhere between.

“I’ve been so lost,” the ghost in her arms says against Maria’s neck.

“And now you’re found,” Maria says.

“Was blind, but now I see,” Carol finishes.

A song Vers has never heard. A human song.

( _ “You’ve got a beautiful singing voice,” Carol said, necking her beer shyly. _

_ “Used to sing in church,” Maria shrugged. _

_ “My family didn’t do God. Dad liked to sleep in on Sundays and Mom… Mom’s always been kinda off in her own little world,” Carol clenches her fist, making the scars on her hand pop. _

_ “So, where’d you learn to sing then?” Maria asked, turning her body to face Carol better. _

_ Carol stuck her tongue between her teeth, looking very much like a naughty child. _

_ “I’d scream along to music in the car with Stevie. We weren’t allowed to listen to punk music--” _

_ “--but banning something is the easiest way to get you to do it,” Maria finished for her. _

_ Carol shrugged, unable to argue. _

_ “How in the hell did you become a soldier?” Maria laughed. _

_ “Who the fuck else was gonna pay for my schooling?” Carol said with a bitter grin. _

_ “Well, I lucked out at least. Your misfortune got me a best friend,” Maria nudged her, looking to put a smile back on that face. _

_ “Lucky you? Lucky me,” Carol’s hangdog face dropped along with her elbow, bringing her face closer to Maria’s own. _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ “Yeah.” _ )

Okay, so seeing the fire fists heat a kettle is one thing, watching Carol turn into a fucking nuke is another. It’s like someone saw that anger bubbling in Carol and decided to use it to fuel a molten core. She’s as powerful as a star and twice as bright.

( _ “Carol, it is freezing out here. What are we doing?” Maria hissed. _

_ “Just trust me, okay? See, Monica trusts me? Monica, tell Mommy to get on the hood,” Carol held up the bundled one year-old. _

_ Monica babbled, then giggled when Carol pressed a raspberry to her cheek. Maria felt her heart melt, even if the rest of her was cold. _

_ “All right, this’d better be good.” Maria grumbled. _

_ The sky stretched above the way it always had. A reminder of light, and of the universe just out of reach. They’re both creatures of the clouds, always trying to get closer to that blue-blackness. _

_ “Can’t believe you don’t know about this,” Carol said with a smile and she shifted to let Maria closer under the blanket. _

_ Monica grabbed Maria’s sweater and held on tight, eyes fixed on a point in the sky. _

_ “Carol Danvers--” _

_ “Shhh! Look! Looklook!” Carol thumped her arm and pointed above. _

_ Shooting stars. Little pieces of heaven dragging their way across the atmosphere. Maria gasped, she’s never seen them so vividly. _

_ “It’s the desert, there’s less cloud cover so you can see the stars better,” Carol whispered breathlessly. _

_ Maria watched the wonder and longing on Carol’s face, seeing it in media res and half-illuminated. _

_ She knew then that she’d never be able to keep her star child, but maybe she could hold her for a little while. _

_ “Carol,” she said. _

_ “Mmm?” _

_ After a pause, Carol turned to look at her, concerned at the silence. _

_ Maria grabbed her by the collar, tight, and kissed her. _ )

Maria was raised to let people into her home. To be good to neighbours and ailing strangers alike. Besides, the house is too big to always just be her and Monica.

Talos, Soren, and their little girl, Irina are good people. Fury’s definitely good people, and she’s glad to have them all spend the night.

“Y’all can stay as long as you need,” Maria insists when Soren goes to argue.

They may be different species, but she can still read gratitude in the woman’s eyes.

“Let me get the pull out ready for you, Nick,” she says.

“He prefers Fury,” Vers (Carol) says with a quirked lip.

And then there’s that. Maria’s been feeling familiar brown eyes tracing her figure all evening and she’s not sure if that’s going to lead anywhere, but it’s making her trip up.

Monica just rolls with it. She’s good at that. She gets it from Carol, just accepting whatever the new status quo is. Playing with the new alien friend, giving and then not-giving Vers space. She plopped herself right into Carol’s lap during dinner to show her the new View-Master reel of The Lion King.

Vers set her fork down and took the View-Master. She pushed Monica’s hair aside and kissed her forehead without really thinking about it, then continued her conversation with Talos and Fury.

“I made up the guest room for the others. With some help from Lieutenant Trouble,” Vers says, sliding into Maria’s orbit.

She’s standing there with dishwater splashes on her Nine Inch Nails shirt and that easy smile looking like a sunny fucking homecoming.

“Thanks for doing that,” Maria almost leans in to peck her with a thank-you kiss, but remembers herself.

Instead, she leads Vers up the stairs to get some pajamas from her room and a space to sleep on. She’s not going to presume that Vers is going to want to share a bed, or even a room.

Maria’s pulling soft shorts out of her drawer when the door closes. She looks up at the rustling of clothing and her brain short circuits because Vers just shed her jeans and there is nothing beneath.

And, fuck, if that isn’t something that hasn’t changed.

(Maria’s teeth were on Carol’s neck and her hand was shoved down the other woman’s jumpsuit, searching for the kind of swift purchase needed for a quickie.

“This is such a bad idea,” Maria grumbled.

“Yeah,” Carol laughed breathlessly.

There. Maria’s fingers passed through molten curls and into such soft velvet heat.

“Jesus, you’re wet,” Maria whispered in awe.

“Flying. Getting up there and feeling the rumble of the engine and hearing your voice--God, Maria.” her voice got all throaty and quiet.

They could get caught. They could get caught and get fired, court marshalled, or worse.

It must have been Carol’s blood inside Maria making her so stupid and reckless as she sucked a nipple through the starched cotton of her shirt. 

“Fuck me,” Carol whimpered, turning to putty in Maria’s arms.

Turning rigid Carol into something so soft and mewling was intoxicating, as was her sweat on Maria’s tongue.)

“I’ll get you some pants,” Maria says, not looking between Vers’s legs.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think before I did this,” Vers says, brow furrowed.

She has that guilty look she gets when she lets Carol’s muscle memory take over and does something to hurt her or Monica.

“No. I--it’s fine,” Maria sighs, knowing it’s clearly not.

Vers, still sans pants, walks over, closing the distance between them.

“We did this though, didn’t we?” Vers asks.

“Did what?” Maria says through a shaky exhale.

Vers moves slowly and deliberately, like she’s burning it to memory--or approaching a wounded animal.

Her hands go the hem of Maria’s shirt and Maria doesn’t block her, instead raises her arms to be undressed, feeling foolish and also intimate.

Vers makes a noise of appreciation at the exposed skin. Maria can’t help but preen. Six years hasn’t changed Carol a bit, but she’s not some fire goddess. She doesn’t have the time or the job for the same fitness routine she had back at base.

Vers traces a finger up Maria’s navel, between her breasts and clavicle, then makes a detour for the edges of her face.

Maria exhales, lowering her hackles and feels a smile creeping. This is something only Carol would know. Deft fingers know just where to remove the pins keeping her wig in place. 

“This isn’t your real hair,” Vers tilts her head.

Maria nods, not wanting to break the spell.

Carol takes it off, then the cap below, freeing the restrained curls. Vers sets wig and cap onto the nightstand and runs her fingers freely through Maria’s hair.

“You’re my Carol, aren’t you?” Maria bites her lip, mad at herself for being unable to hold that back.

“I was… I want to be again, but I don’t know if I’ll be the same,” Carol says.

“Hey, I’m not the same person I was when you left, so we can just figure out who we are now and if that still aligns,” Maria says, keeping steady eye contact.

Carol doesn’t look away, just gives a watery nod.

Maria looks down at them with a snort, they’re each half naked but on opposing sides.

“Let’s get you into some clothes,” she says.

“I’d rather get you out of yours,” Carol fires back.

Maria’s eyes widen, and she lets Carol lead her hand between her legs and  _ holyfuck _ she’s missed that.

“You’re so wet,” she whispers.

“Flying,” Carol smiles.

Maria rotates her wrist and presses her fingers inside because it’s been too long. Carol’s mouth crashes against hers, all hot and messy. Their noses bump and their teeth clack, but once Maria sucks Carol’s tongue into her mouth the find their rhythm. Blunt nails scratch against Maria’s neck. Those smart little fingers find their way to the clasps of her bra and free her from it. Unburdened, she lets Carol have her way with her chest.

“I missed these,” Carol pants against her mouth as she rolls and squeezes Maria’s breasts.

“I missed having you ride my lap like this,” Maria says, sitting down on the bed and pulling Carol up to straddle her.

Carol sinks down again and her eyelashes flutter.

“Good?” Maria asks.

“The best,” Carol rolls her hips, just like she always did.

They have to be quiet. Too many strange ears in the house. Too much riding on this moment. It’s a shortcut. A cheap way to fit themselves back together without talking or time. When Maria grabs Carol by the inner thighs after her first orgasm and licks her lips, she gets stopped.

“I don’t know if… I might not taste like her,” Carol warns.

“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” Maria’s carnal brain isn’t going to let that hiccup get in the way of eating pussy.

“Fuck, you’re still so pink down here,” she grunts.

Carol’s cheeks colour, she’s half-way between sheepish and pleased. She helps kick off Maria’s jeans and underwear in one go. That, plus her shirt has them finally bared with each other.

“How much do you remember of this?” Maria asks, licking Carol’s inner thigh.

“I remember it being one of my favourite things, I remember a few close calls back at base, I remember how I really woke you up on that morning. The last one….”

“You just had to give me jelly legs that day,” Maria can’t hide her grin in her annoyed tone.

“What can I say, Baby? I’ve got a gifted tongue, it’s best when it’s put to use,” Carol says.

And in that moment she’s herself.

“Carol,” Maria whimpers, kissing her hard.

Carol clutches her like she’s afraid Maria’s about to disappear.

“Tell me this isn’t a dream,” she whispers.

“It’s not a dream,” Maria says.

She shudders through an orgasm and drags her own fingers through Maria’s folds before pressing them into herself. Maria smiles.

“What?”

“You would always insist, you couldn’t cum without having some of mine inside you,” Maria explains.

“Did you do the same?” Carol asks.

Maria hums her yes and mirrors the action.

“Fuck, that’s so good,” Carol gasps, watching her own stick slide into Maria.

They go from kissing to tasting each other, careful to keep their breathing and sucking quiet as not to wake the guests or the eleven year-old down the hall.

“Am I as good as you remember?” Carol asks, once they’ve settled into a nude pile atop the sheet. Her head’s resting on Maria’s bicep and their legs are tangled together. Maria pinches the other woman’s stretch marks as she thinks, “You know, everyone gets rusty.”

Carol’s mouth drops in offence, “Rusty?!”

“Always room for improvement, Baby,” Maria says.

Carol scoffs, affronted, “Maria Rambeau, are you trying to use my inherently competitive nature to get me to go down on you again?”

Maria cracks a slow smile and does a little nod, “Working isn't it?”

“So well!” Carol whisper yells. 

Maria has to bite the inside of her arm to keep quiet this time because Carol's gaze is as intense as her tongue and she doesn't want to miss a second. 

Carol's on autopilot again when they clean up in the en suite. She shoots Maria a toothpaste smile in the mirror. 

“Do they polish their skeletons on Hala?” Maria asks. 

Carol spits, “Hygiene is huge on Hala. If they could polish the rest of their skeletons I'm sure they would.”

They share a minty kiss. Carol turns the bathroom light off on her way out. 

“Should probably put some clothes on. Monica still crawls into bed with me sometimes and you being here means--”

“She'll turn into Lieutenant Snuggle,” Carol finishes. 

Maria finds the discarded clothing she selected earlier and holds the shorter shirt out to Carol. They retrieve the blanket from where it was kicked off and settle. 

Carol smells different, but still fits perfectly against Maria's side. She plays with Maria's fingers, deep in thought. 

“Go to sleep, Space Cadet,” Maria yawns. 

( _ “She's out like a light,” Carol whispers.  _

_ Monica is boneless and sucking her lip as Carol carries her in from the car. Maria pauses to rearrange her arms before holding the door open.  _

_ “Thanks for taking care of her,” she says.  _

_ “It was nothing. We had a blast,” Carol said.  _

_ A yawn broke its way out of her mouth and she leaned against the doorframe, hands stuffed into her leather jacket and hair pulled under a baseball cap. Maria tucked Monica in, kissed her cheek, then turned back to Carol. _

_ “It’s late,” she said. _

_ “I’ll get going,” Carol yawned again. _

_ They’d been playing this game of chicken too long. Carol would visit, stay late, then insist on heading home, no matter how tired. Too proud to ask to stay. Maria’d been too scared to offer it. _

_ But, not tonight, tonight she waved her white flag. _

_ “Carol, you can stay,” Maria said. _

_ “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to put you out,” she said with eyes that pleased ‘convince me’. _

_ “Come on, I would be up all night worrying you’d fallen asleep behind the wheel,” Maria reached out for the lapels of Carol’s jacket. _

_ Carol followed her around, expecting a couch to be made up, but instead, Maria hung up the jacket and led Carol to the bedroom. _

_ “Maria, are you sure?” she’d said, voice shaking. _

_ “Careful, Monica gets up to snuggle me sometimes,” Maria’d said. _

_ Carol changed into the offered pajamas and crawled into bed a respectful distance away. Maria woke around three to find Monica starfished between them. Carol’s hair was fanned out around her and she was lightly snoring. In the quiet moments where the world can’t see them, Maria would think about marrying Carol Danvers. She’d fantasize about those brown eyes lighting up. She’d think about white dresses and dress uniforms, of white cake and Monica in a sundress playing the role of flower girl. For now, liking the sight of Carol’s head on her other pillow would have to do. Maria settled back into sleepiness, slung an arm over her girls, and let herself be lulled to sleep by two sets of soft breaths. _ )

The door squeaks open around three and bare feet pad across wood floor to the edge of the bed.

Carol’s been more in stasis than in sleep, so she opens one eye, smile creeping as the bed sags under Monica’s knee. Then she’s got her arms full of eleven year-old, and she’s not going to complain about that. Soon Monica will be too big, too cool, to sleep with her moms and Carol just thanks whoever’s out there that she didn’t miss all of this.

“Hey Lieutenant Snuggle,” she mumbles against Monica’s temple.

“I thought you might have left,” Monica says.

Carol sighs heavily and tucks her daughter’s hair behind an ear, “I’d never leave without saying goodbye, never again, okay?”

Monica nods.

Maria stirs, frowning at the noise.

“Now, let’s go back to sleep so we don’t wake Mama up, okay?” Carol says.

Monica nods again, yawning instantly as she burrows between her mothers. Maria stirs and rolls over to face them, but does not wake.

Carol’s herself when she wakes up. She looks in the mirror and sees Vers. Sees years of Kree training. But, under that she sees a Captain. She sees the kid who broke her arm on the race track. She sees a stubborn asshole in her thirties. The kind of woman who just won’t die.

She gets up to make breakfast and winces at the creaky step. Not wanting to wake Fury up on the couch. It’s too late. He’s sitting up, stroking Goose’s fur and watching the sunrise.

“I’ll make some coffee,” she announces her presence.

He nods.

“Beautiful house,” he follows her into the kitchen.

“Mm.”

“Beautiful family,” he adds.

Carol stiffens.

“Relax, I’m not going to tell anyone,” he raises his hands up.

“Not if you wanna keep both of your hands you won’t,” she tightens her jaw.

“No need for threats, Carol. I thought we understood each other,” he huffs.

She’s glad she can still look intimidating in Maria’s robe and bedhead. She sighs and relents, “I’m sorry, it’s just never been easy.”

“I can’t relate, but I do know what it’s like to have the odds stacked against you.”

Goose jumps up on the counter to rub against Carol’s hand.

“Stay away from the butter,” Carol's warns her. 

She makes coffee, marveling at the change in technology. Lower tech than the Kree, higher tech than 1989. Earth as it is now. 

“You look better today, sturdier,” Fury remarks. 

“I feel sturdier.” 

Carol searches for the baking supplies, finding it in one of the lower cupboards. 

“What're you making?” he asks. 

“Diagonally cut toast.”

He scoffs, “I told you that in confidence.”

She pours three mugs of coffee, unsure if Talos or Soren drink the stuff, but leaving enough if they do. 

“Be right back, keep an eye on that bacon,” she says, taking the stairs with one cup and not spilling a drop. 

Fury makes a delighted noise as Goose pushes her nose against his hand. 

Maria awakens to Monica in her bed and no Carol. What a trick that would be. For it all to be a dream. To have her and then lose her again like dust in her fingers. 

Except, there's noise downstairs. 

Except, someone's jumping the creaky stair on their way up. 

Maria feigns sleep as the door creaks open and familiar footsteps enter. She can feel Monica stirring beside her, also playing dead but buzzing with excitement. 

A cup gets set down on her nightstand and then there's lips brushing her forehead. 

Maria flutters her eyelashes when she 'wakes up’. 

“Hey,” Carol says in her 'sexy voice’.

“Hey,” Maria responds in a sleepy rasp. She accepts the offered kiss with her coffee. 

Then there's a giggle from beside her. 

“Did you hear that?” Carol asks, faux deadly serious. 

“Hmm, maybe, what did it sound like?” Maria asks. 

Another giggle. 

“It sounded like a tickle monster!” with that, Carol launches herself on the bed and hauls Monica up. Monica squeals into more goofy laughter, shrieking when Carol blows a raspberry against her cheek. 

“Auntie Carol!” she laughs, struggling against the grip. 

“There is no Auntie Carol, only the tickle monster!” Carol growls. 

Maria's awake now and it doesn't fail to make her heart hurt. It's too soon for 'there is no Auntie Carol’ jokes. She's only just got her back. 

( _ “Auntie Carol this, Auntie Carol that. Your girl sure thinks that friend of yours hung the moon,” Maria's mother didn't look up from the shrimp she was deveining.  _

_ Maria felt her heart jump into her throat. She felt it settle there in a nauseous lump.  _

_ Leave it alone, she mentally begged her mother.  _

_ “Is she over a lot?” her mother asked.  _

_ “She helps out. Monica's young and it's good to have another adult around the house,” Maria said.  _

_ “There's a nice young man at church, Charles, good man. He works as a barber in the city. I think it'd be good for Monica to have a father figure,” Mama said.  _

_ Maria didn't answer, just stared at her mother with tired eyes.  _

_ Her mother met her gaze and sighed.  _

_ “You know, I almost named you Ruth after my favourite book in the bible. Do you remember Ruth?” _

_ “Yes, Mama, I remember the book of Ruth,” Maria rubbed her eyes. _

_ “Good book, all about mixed families, the special kind of devotion between women, and gaining a mother-in-law’s approval,” her mother said lightly. _

_ Maria’s eyes widened and she looked up from the roux she was stirring. _

_ “Keep an eye on that, don’t want it going darker than brown,” her mother chided. _

_ “Ma, what’re you saying?” Maria asked. _

_ “I’m saying not to burn that roux. Now, when can this Auntie Carol come over for dinner?” _ )

Carol and Talos talk of star systems and bending space for speed. They talk of planets on the ends of the galaxy's arms. They talk in present and future tense. 

Maria's mood sours. She cuts vegetables violently, seasons chicken with jerky motions, and snaps when Monica asks where her red markers are. 

Monica retreats and Carol replaces her with a look of apologetic understanding. 

“You're mad.”

“Six years you're gone and you can't even stay for one full week? My daughter just got you back--”

“ _ Our daughter _ ,” Carol cuts in. 

“You don't get to 'our daughter’ me when you're about to abandon us again in the same breath!”

There's the sound of footsteps leaving the living room and Carol can see Soren herding Irina and Monica out into the yard. 

“Maria, I'm coming back,” Carol says with soft eyes. 

“Do you know what it was like after you were gone? They told me that the only explanation they could think of is that you had ejected too early and burned up in atmosphere. And even that was after I chased every trail that they discharged me with enough shut up money to put Monica through college!”

“Oh, that's good, I was gonna look for an Earth job for when I'm here so I could start contributing to that. Guess I'll put the money away for a pony,” Carol says. 

“You do not get out of this by being cute!” Maria bursts into tears.

Carol gathers her shaking body up into her arms. She almost smells like herself again, less like the burn of ozone. Maria sobs openly into her shoulder. 

“I had nightmares. Every night for two years. I had to take drugs just to get your dead face off my mind,” Maria admits. 

Carol rubs soothing circles into Maria's back and rocks her, “That's what you feared. But you knew I'd come back.”

Hesitantly, Maria nods. 

“Because you and me, we're tethered right here,” Carol points to her heart. She then corrects herself, “You, me, and the Lieutenant. And I'll always be able to follow this back to you.”

“I knew I could never keep you down here,” Maria smiles wetly, “You were always looking up.” 

Carol sighs, resting her cheek on Maria's shoulder. Her hands slip from back, to hips, to the back pockets of Maria's jeans. 

“Baby, this is the only heavenly body I'm ever gonna orbit.”

Maria swats her, trying not to laugh at how proud Carol looks of that bad joke. 

( _ “What's that one?” _

_ “That's Betelgeuse! It's a red supergiant and 642 light-years away. Do you know how far that is?” Carol asked.  _

_ Monica's face scrunched up and she shook her head.  _

_ Carol adjusted the sides of the beanie, making sure that Monica's ears were covered.  _

_ “Well, it's almost as far away as Grandma's house.” _

_ “It is not!” _

_ “It's true! We could go to Betelgeuse for breakfast if we could just drive up instead of forward,” Carol was very convincing.  _

_ “Is that what you and Mommy do?” Monica asked.  _

_ “Yup, we test planes so that we can drive up to space.” _

_ Monica looked from Carol to Maria, who had appeared with tidings of bed time.  _

_ “She's lying!” _

_ Carol was aghast, clutching her chest as if struck.  _

_ “The lack of trust! You wound me,” she said.  _

_ “Come on, the stars will be there tomorrow,” Maria said.  _

_ “They'll be there during the day too,” Carol said, scooping Monica up with exaggerated effort, “One bag of potatoes coming up!” _

_ Monica giggled as she was passed into Maria’s arms. _

_ “I don’t know if this bag’s any good, it keeps wriggling. I think it might be full of worms,” Maria’d said. _

_ “Am not!” _ )

“I've had that fight before,” Soren tells Maria while peeling potatoes. 

“Did Talos leave a lot?”

“War is war, and we were never safe for long,” she sighs. 

“It's selfish for me to want to keep her if she can really end this war.”

Soren touches her hand, and for a moment Maria Rambeau thinks of how fucking surreal her week has been that she's being comforted by a shape shifting lizard woman. 

“She won't be gone long this time. We'll make sure of that.”

“Please.”

( _ “You alright, Danvers?” _

_ Carol jumped, taken out of her reverie. It’s their first night as a unit, and the stars looked awful pretty so far out in the desert. She was backlit, arms gently raised at her sides, like she was ready to take flight. _

_ “Yeah, just can’t wait to get up there,” Carol said. _

_ “We will. Those birds aren’t gonna fly themselves,” Maria said. _

_ She was keeping her eyes behind her hair, but taking furtive glances at the other woman. Carol was beautiful. More than that, Carol was rowdy and wild. There was something wild about that girl. It both attracted to repelled Maria. She wanted to get closer, but feared getting burned by something so set on a blaze of glory. _

_ Or, she might have been overthinking it. Romanticizing the only other girl in her unit because she had yellow hair and a slow smile. Carol could just be one of those pools that looks mysterious, but turns out to be knee deep. Carol could just be a reckless dumb ass. _

_ “Do you ever think about going as high as you can?” Carol asked. _

_ “Like, past the sky?” _

_ “Yeah, second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning,” Carol said. _

_ “Peter Pan?” _

_ “Yeah, always thought… you know, maybe Neverland was in space… growing up. Finding anything up there would be an adventure.” _

_ “Yeah,” Maria sighed, not really getting it, but Carol was cute and Maria had a crush so she let her get away with spouting nonsense. _

_ “Come on, I feel like singing!” Carol said, suddenly breaking out of her melancholy. _ )

“And I-eey-yaaaaiii had a feeling that I belonged! And I-eeeyy-yaaaii had a feeling that I could be someone, be someone,  _ besomeone _ ,” they belt together along with the kitchen radio.

Maria and Carol take the dishes because they want these last moments together, so everyone else has cleared out.

“Do you have a tape deck on that spaceship of yours?” Maria asks, playing more lightly than she feels.

“I could probably rig something up from an old walkman. That would be nice, having some of our old songs to keep me company.”

“You could always stay,” Maria says.

And, it’s not fair for her to say, but she has to. She’ll regret it if she doesn’t ask. Why can’t the world and the universe solve its own damn problems and leave her family alone? She wants her normal life with her Carol back.

Carol dries her hands off and uses her hands as brackets on Maria’s waist. She pauses in that moment, eyes searching Maria’s, then nuzzling into her face.

“God, you’re so fucking fine,” Carol says, nipping at Maria’s lip.

Maria stays in the teasing contact, “Don’t change the subject.”

“There are lives at stake. So many. And, I can help. I can use the Doc’s invention to make that real difference. To end the war, then I’ll come home to you. I’ll hang up my suit and we’ll get ridiculously old and domestic together,” Carol kisses Maria.

Maria returns the pecks, one, two, three, then interrupts her.

“Promise me you’ll come back. And, in one piece,” Maria says.

“There might be some assembly required, but in a fun way,” Carol bounces her eyebrows.

Maria scoffs, laughing into her neck and not wanting to let go.

She holds Monica that night as they watch Carol and the Skrulls take off. Carol’s on the tips of her toes again, reaching out into the stars, finding the far off lands she always fantasized about, but, like Lot’s wife, or Eurydice, she looks back at Maria. She goes forward, but not without knowing what she’s losing.

Monica waves. Maria just keeps her gaze on Carol. She burns this image into her mind to replace the old one. Carol’s face lit up in triumph, not burned to ash.

“She’ll come back, she always does,” Monica says with infinite confidence.

It’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you later. She has to trust that. 


End file.
